Turnbull could take SA thorn from his side

Malcolm Turnbull might get to finally pull a thorn out of his side on Saturday.

South Australian Labor Premier Jay Weatherill has been a constant critic of Canberra, refusing to play ball on school and hospital funding, and the national redress scheme for sex abuse victims.

He has also fiercely pushed the coalition on electricity, with the 2016 SA blackout sparking a national debate about energy prices and security.

But after 16 years of Labor rule, the state looks set to change government.

A Liberal win - even as a minority government - won't just mean a boost for the federal coalition in its hopes to win seats in 2019, it also means a friendlier state government to help drive national reform.

But it won't be easy, for two reasons.

In the grand tradition of opposition leaders, Liberal leader Steven Marshall has been labelled uninspiring in media and political circles.